Just So You Know
by Mountain Sky
Summary: It's hard to be a Hufflepuff half-blood in a grey family with a Slytherin twin, a brilliant Gryffindor new-blood cousin, and a Gryffindor vampire servant. How did this happen? Well it's a long story . . .
1. Chapter 1

I sigh as I move past yet another full compartment, and check the next door, smiling as I see only a single person. I slide the door open.

"Excuse me, can I sit here? Everything I've checked- Lily?"

"Jolan?" the red-haired girl asked in surprise. "You're a wizard?"

"Yeah, I'm a half blood," I say sitting down next to Lily and closing the door. "So you're a witch?"

"Yeah! Um, what do you mean by half blood though?" she asks hesitantly.

"Oh! You don't know?" I ask her confused.

"No," she admits, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Well, it means that two of my grandparents were muggles, and two were magic," I tell her. "You're what is commonly known as a muggle-born, but if anyone asks, tell them you're a new blood alright?"

"Yeah," she nods. "So does this mean that Aunt Circe and Uncle Berwyn are magic? Oh! And what about Rowan? Where is he?"

"Mum and Dad are magic, and is Rowan, but I lost him as soon as we got on the train," I say, mumbling the last bit.

"Oh," she said looking down. Then she looked up with a weak smile. "Turney's not a witch."

"Oh," I frown. "Did they give her the books?"

"What books? They didn't give her any! Not even when she wrote to the headmaster!" Lily says, looking up at me.

"They're supposed to give books on magic to the siblings of new-bloods," I say, glaring at a spot on the opposite wall. "And if they ask to be admitted, they're supposed to be sent to a school that also takes sqibs!"

I pull a piece of paper out of my messenger satchel and a pencil and start a letter to my mum.

_Mum,_

_Lily's a witch, and she says that they didn't give Petal any books, or send her to the school even though she asked! Sorry I'm writing so soon, but I didn't want to forget!_

_Love,_

_Jolan_

"There!" I declare and show Lily the paper. "Mum will do something about this!"

"Thank Jolan!" Lily says, and I smile at her before folding it into a paper plane and tapping it with my wand.

"For the eyes of Circe Dallan only," I enunciate clearly and hold my hand out flat. A moment later, the plane zips off of my hand and out the window. Lily and I keep talking and I answer her questions about wizarding society. After a while, the trolley cart comes, and I carefully pick out my favorite candies; Blood pops, and a cauldron cake. Lily makes a face a my choices and picks a box of Bertie and Bott's every Flavor Beans. I laugh at her expression as she trys a one.

"Lily," I say around a mouthful of cauldron cake. "When they say every flavor, they mean every flavor!"

"I can see that now," Lily says going over to the window and spitting the bean into the wind. "Seriously though? Liver?"

I laugh at her again as I finnish the cauldron cake. She sits down and watches fascinated as I unwrap a blood pop.

"Those don't really taste like blood, do they?" she asks as I stick the wrapper into the trash box. I grin.

"Here," I hand it to her. "Try it for your self!"

She takes it with a cautious look and takes one long lick before her nose wrinkles and she thrusts it beck at me.

"Gods Jolan," Lily says as she watches my stick the Pop into my mouth. "How can you eat that?!"

"Well I like the way my blood tastes, and I know cause I'm always picking my scabs. I don't scrape myself on purpose though, I just consent my self with blood pops," I say and she makes a face again. I look up as the door slides open.

"Hello Jolan," Kane says, in the cool way he only ever manages when he's annoyed.

"Hey Kane," I say as he closes the door behind himself and sits down next to me. "You were with Rowan right? What did you two do?"

The cool expression melts off of Kane's face as he smiles. "Well we went to the Slytherin Pure Blood Supremests, got them to praise us, then revealed that Rowan's a half blood and I'm a vampire."

"Oh? So where's Rowan now then?" I ask with a smile as I hand Kane a blood pop.

"I think he went off to find the Gryffindors," Kane said before turning to Lily and extending his hand. "Are you Lily? Jolan and Rowan talk about you and Petunia all the time. I'm Kane."

"Your tanner than what I thought a vampire would be," Lily said, grasping Kane's hand. "And warmer too."

"Good to be an information source madame," Kane says with a laugh.

* * *

This is just something I thought of. I don't own Harry Potter. Reviews are _love_ dearies! I did _not_ just type that did I? *face plant*


	2. Chapter 2

Rowan wanders in a few minutes later, and we all rush to change into our Hogwarts robes. When we all settle back in, Lily asks the question I'd been waiting for. "So what is Pure blood supremacy? My books don't say much about it."

Rowan and I exchange glances before turning back to her.

"Well, it's the belief that pure bloods-" I start.

"-or people with four magic grandparents-" Rowan continues, and Kane rolls his eyes.

"-are magically superior to muggle-borns-"

"But it's nonsense," Rowan finishes, his hands braiding through his black hair.

"Why would one be superior over the other?" Lily asked confused. "We're all magic aren't we?"

"Well yeah, but muggle-borns-" Kane starts.

"-will never have an affinity magic-" Rowan cuts in, and Kane glares at him.

"-specifically in one branch-" I continue.

"-or other magic gifts that are passed through families," Kane finishes. "By the way-"

"-if anyone asks-" I add.

"-you're just a new-blood witch," Rowan finishes.

"And your family has an affinity for charms," I add as an after thought. Lily looks amused at our ping-ponging of the sentences, and has no trouble following us.

"Sure," she says with a smile. "Anything else I need to know?"

This time a three way glance is exchanged before I pull a book out of my messenger satchel.

"You might want to remember most of this," I say, handing her the book.

"It's especially useful against pure-blood supremests," Kane comments. We all look up as the door slides open to reveal a face with long, pale hair.

"Lucius?" Rowan asks after a moment. The teen looks at us for a moment before sighing and making his way over to a seat by the window. I frown and nudge Rowan.

"Do you remember mom saying anything about meeting Lucius on the train?" I whisper to him.

"No, mum didn't tell me, I just got into a argument with Potter," Lucius said with a sigh before looking up. "So who's she?"

"That's Lily-"

"-our cousin."

"Lily? You mean the genius girl you three are always trying to convince me and father to visit?" Lucius asks, a smile curling his lips.

"Quite," Rowan and I reply in unison, with synchronised nods.

"Ah," Lucius sighs, pulling away from the window and holding a hand out to Lily. "Pleased to finally make you acquaints. Now, do you have a sister, boy friend, brother, or painting talent?"

Lily stares at him wide-eyed for a moment before she bursts out laughing. When she finally gets her self under control, she's still whipping tears away from her eyes.

"I've got a sister who had painting talent, but none of it myself, and no brothers or boy friends," Lily replied, eyes sparkling. A voice echos through the train suddenly, and Lucius looks up.

"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to school separately."

We exit the cabin and I throw a glance around, trying to find Nefertiti again before shrugging. She was probably with Ahmose and Rowan's luggage. People push their way towards the door and out onto a tiny, dark platform.

"First Years! First Years! Right this way!" A woman's voice calls and Lucius pushes us towards the swinging lanterns.

"Go along children, I'm a prefect this year, and I can't have a bad reputation," he says as he waves to us, and Kane, Rowan and I exchange glances.

"Perfect-" I begin.

"-Prefect-" Rowan continues.

"-Lucy!" Kane ends and the three of us dart towards the lantern as Lucius flushes, and Lily walks after us laughing. The person carrying the lantern is a middle aged woman who introduces her self as 'Professor Grubblyplank'.

"Alright, follow me now and mind your step!" the Professor calls, leading us down a steep narrow path. I could see the slight auras that the trees gave off on either side of us.

"Alright!" the Professor called. "We're nearly there!"

The energy from earlier had dissolved into a nervous tension as we rounded a bend and everyone gasped at the sight of the glowing, almost fairy tail like castle with it's windows sparkling against the starry sky, a black lake reflecting it.

"Come on now!" the Professor called, pointing to the fleet of boats on the shore. "Four to a boat!"

Lily gets to the boats first, and Kane, Rowan and I follow her into the one she chose.

"Everyone in?" the professor asked, and got a ragged chorus of yeses in reply. "Right then - Foreward!"

And the little fleet of boats moved off, gliding over the black lake, creating ripples in the formerly smooth glass. Rowan and I were grinning like loons.

"Heads down!" the professor called as the first boats reached the cliff, and everyone ducked so as not to be hit in the face by the curtain of ivy. We are carried along a dark tunnel, the only light being the lantern Professor Grubblyplank carried, and into a underground harbor where we clamber out onto pebbles. "Come on now!"

We all scramble up a passage way after the lanternlight, and onto smooth, damp grass in the shadow of the castle. We all walk up a flight of rough stone stairs and crowd around the heavy-looking oak door.

"Every one here?" the professor asked, and got a solid yes. She pulled on the circle of iron to ring a bell somewhere deep in the castle.


	3. Chapter 3

The doors swing open immediately to reveal a tell, black-haired witch.

"Here you go Minerva, the first years!" Professor Grubblyplank says cheerfully.

"Thank you Caroline. I will take it from here," the stern-looking witch replied before turning to us as Grubblyplank hurries behind her. "Hello first-years, I am your transfiguration professor, and you will address me as professor McGonagall."

Rowan and I share soft smiles as we watch Kane point at things and whisper to Lily. Professor McGonagall takes us to a small hall and gives us a speech on the houses before telling us to wait.

I lean against Rowan a little, relaxing so I can see the flowing of our auras as they blend.

_What do you think Sorting is?_ I ask him silently, not moving other than to lean my head on his shoulder.

_Nothing we can't handle_, Rowan replied, tilting his head so he can smile at me.

"Now form a line," Professor McGonagall said, seeming to appear suddenly, making me jump away from Rowan, and wince at the tear caused by the sudden separation. I stand behind Lily as she hushes Kane, the back of my hand brushing Rowan's.

We walk through the giant, oak doors and into the Great Hall. I watch Lily as she looks around wonderingly, barely paying attention to the hat and the stool until I notice that everyone was staring at it. The the hat bursts into song and my nose twitches.

I clap along with the rest of the hall when it finishes anyway, and I watch Professor McGonagall steps forward with a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said before calling the first name.

A couple of names later, she called,"Dallan, Jolan."

I squeeze Rowan's hand one more time letting out auras separate like oil and water before stepping forward. I sit on the stool, my eyes trained on Rowan and Kane as the hat drops over my eyes.

"Hmm, difficult, difficult," a small voice whispers in my ear. "Plenty of courage, and loyalty, yes, loyalty. You are rather just too . . ."

_Quite_, I tell the hat. _So it's Hufflepuff then?_

"As if I'd put you anywhere else," the hat said, sounding offended. "_HUFFLEPUFF!_"

I smile and hop off, pulling the hat off my head and walking down to the table.

"Dallan, Rowan!" Professor McGonagall calls, and I smile up at my twin as whispers circle through the hall. Rowan calmly steps up to the stool and sits as the hat is put on his head.

The hat sits there for about fifteen second before it straightens up and announces,"_SLYTHERIN!_"

Instantly a wave of whispers spread through the hall as the Slytherins clapped lightly and Lily, Kane and I clapped enthusiastically.

Kane comes after Rowan and is sorted into Gryffindor a couple of seconds after the hat touches his head. Lily soon follows him, but I don't really pay attention to the rest of the kids after her, only clapping politely with the rest of the school. I look up from the book in my lap as a hush falls over the Hall to see the headmaster standing

"Welcome!" he said beaming at everyone as if we were his greatest joys. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words! And they are: Potatoes! Mission! Flavor! Maroon!"

He sat back down and everyone clapped. I laugh at the expression on Lily's face as she turns to Kane, before waving madly at Rowan and the person sitting next to him (it was quite obvious to me at least.). The dishes in front of me suddenly fill with food and I immediately grab a chicken strip and go back to my book.

I look up and blink at the utterly odd looking girl who was sitting across from my at the Ravenclaw table who was staring at the food on the table in front of her uncertainly as she nibbled on what looked like raw carrot sticks. I smile at her and point at my plate with the chick strip, biscuit and mashed potatoes, and she smiles at me. She grabs a couple of chicken strips and starts eating them as she looks at something in her lap, no doubt a book as one hand twirls a strand of bright orange hair, occasionally glancing up to pick a few aqua-marine strands out.

I smile and go back to my book. I don't notice the dessert as I keep reading my book, and only look up when the hall falls silent again, to see Professor Dumbledore standing.

"First years should note that the ground is forbidden to all pupils," Dumbledore says. "I have also been asked by our caretaker, Mr. Filch, to remind you all that no magic should be used in the corridors between classes. And finally, Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madame Umber. And now, before we go to bed, let us sing a song!"

I notice the sudden fixed quality of the staff's smiles. Dumbledore gave his wand a flick, and a purple ribbon flowed out of it, snaking into words above the head table.

"One! Two! And off we go!" Dumbledore said, and I flinch as the school bellows the words out. I notice the girl doing so too and we share a pained smile. When the song finishes, Dumbledore smiles. "And now bed time! Off you go!"

I follow the Hufflepuff prefect, a girl named Ezebeth down a flight of stairs to a painting where she stops and explains to us that we get into the common room by hitting the barrel I the corner the the rhythm of 'Helga Hufflepuff' as she demonstrated.


	4. Chapter 4

I enter my room at the end of the hall, only to stumble backward with a yelp as a blur jumps at me and sinks it's claws into my head.

**"You left me there! You let them apparate me!"** a furious voice yells. and I wince.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry Nefertiti!" I grumble, pulling the at off of my head. Green eyes glare balefully up at me from my arms.

**"You better be,"** Nefertiti said as I carried her to the bed. She leapt out of my arms, digging her back claws in a little more than necessary, and making me stumble back a little. I just smile at her before turning to my trunk and opening it to grab the leather bound book on top, and the pencil next to it before turning to plop into the chair of my cubby desk (Right next to my cubby bed) and open it to write:

_So how are you guys?_ on the first line. The ever growing cluster of dots in the margin stopped growing abruptly as two answers came.

_Horrible! Remind me why I'm in Slytherin again!_ Rowan's neat writing appears quickly on the line beneath mine.

_Awesome. Now get me out of here._ Kane's messier writing appeared on the third line down. I stifle a laugh as I start to write again.

_Well I'm doing fine. I've got my own room even!_ I write. _I'm kind of lonely though._

_Good for you. I've got my own room also._ Rowan wrote.

_I'm in a dorm._ Kane wrote. _I'm asking for a room because it's unreasonable to put a vampire in a dorm with humans and a were-wolf for seven years, especially with that stupid James Potter._

I take a moment to process that before I'm writing on the next line, ignoring the writing overlapping mine. _You're currently bunking with a what?_

_A were-wolf._ Kane scrawled back, his irritation evident in the true sloppiness of his writing. _His name is Remus Lupin._

_Kane, use my token._ I write quickly, my letters sloppy. _You can sleep in my room tonight._

"Nefertiti!"I call as I push away from the desk and tug a necklace out from under my robes. The patter of her feet answer me and a dove-grey streak solidifies into Nefertiti on my desk who glances at me once before leaping into my lap and curling up as I open the circular pendant and turn the hand to Kane.

_"Stay safe,"_ Nefertiti grumbled, one eye twitching open for a second.

"I will," I smile at her, pressing the button, and blinking as I'm hurtled down a silvery tube and into a brilliant overwhelming rush of soundsmellcolorfeeltaste that leaves me gasping as I try to brace against it before it abruptly draws back into darkness, where it carefully forms, letting me feel the way it is tiered like a young woman forced to grow up too quickly.

_**:My child:**_, the being sends with images and feelings of love.

_**:Mother:**_, I send back with my own feelings and images, and I get the impression of a tiered smile as I move to another silver tube.

I blink up at the face hovering over me as the silver fades away. _"-lan. Jolan!_ Jolan!"

"I'm fine Kane," I groan, batting blindly at him with my hand as I sit up.

"I know," Kane says with a sigh as he sits back, tucking a strand of his while hair back behind his ear, "I'm just worried that one day it won't work, or you'll get swept away or lost or something."

"Kane," I say, my eye twitching. "I did not grow a tree, then grow a second one from the seeds of the first, while saturating both with my magic before carving thirteen figurines of myself, soaking them in my blood as I incanted magic to bind them to me, carving runes into them, soak them in my blood, then paint them for no reason. That's more than anyone else who has done this tried!"

"Yeah, yeah," Kane said, rolling his eyes as he pops a watermelon candy into his mouth. "So how do I get to your dorm?"

"You have to, pick me up first, Snow," I say, and he rolls his eyes and does so. "Okay, first we have to find out way back to the Great Hall . . ."


	5. Chapter 5

I stir my oatmeal distractedly as I frown at the Black heir sitting in front of me, thinking about the conversation I'd heard last night, ignoring the muttering and glares sent my way.

* * *

_Kane and I both freeze on his bed as a loud crack echos, before Kane dives behind his truck as the rustling of someone sitting up in their bed and drawing back the curtains comes._

_"What is it?" the person asked softly._

_"Kreacher has come to inform the old master that he has been removed from the family tree, and disinherited," a low raspy and growling voices replied, just as softly._

_"Kreacher," the person called calmly just before the elf left._

_"What do you want, old master?" the elf asked, clearly unhappy._

_"I hear by call upon the boon granted upon me as Sirius Black upon my removal from the family tree. As Sirius Black I do hereby command any and all house elf belonging to the Ancient and Noble House of Black to save the one Regulus Black, brother to my own person, from death even at the cost of their own lives. Let this order take precedence over any orders not to save him. With the granting of this boon, I Sirius Black do acknowledge my removal from the House of Black, and should I be returned to the House, I demand that this favor remain whether I remember it or not, until the time of the natural death of Regulus Black. So mote it be," Sirius said, and the magic accumulating from the speaking of the bond flashed once before dissipating._

_"What was that for?" Kreacher grumbled._

_"Safety precaution," Sirius replied, and I can hear the darkness in his voice. The elf disappeared in another large crack, leaving Kane and I barely breathing as he slumped over, bringing his hands up to his face for a moment, before he pulls the curtains back around himself and the crinkling indicates that he lay back down. We stay still, for a moment, shocked, before we hear the sound on muffled sobs coming from the bed. I get Kane's attention by stomping, and he blinks, looking down at me. I motion towards the door and he casts a helpless look at Sirius's bed before turning to the door and slipping out._

* * *

There's a sudden commotion and I look up to see Rowan coming, making a relieved smile spread across my face as I half raise to greet him, before he forces me down. Kane rolls his eyes on my other side when as soon as Rowan sits down next to me, a space automatically cleared for him, I slump onto him with a sigh of relief. Our auras start twining immediately as I relax into his familiar presence, making him smile as he reached for a piece of toast, his left arm coming up to draw me closer.

_What is it? _he asked as he started eating, both of us ignoring the glares from the other Gryffindors, even as Kane watched us bemused, used to us managing to make a scene.

_Oh you know, the usual, being separated from you for more than an hour, witnessing pure blood heir being kicked out of their families, and seeing said heir use his familial request to protect his baby brother, not much, _I say to him with a shrug, grabbing a piece of cinnamon toast, _like the way Rowan always smells, and the way he likes rosemary because he says that's what I smell like._

_What! _Rowan asks, turning slightly so he could see past the personality layer of my aura, my identity layer not registering as I take another bite of my toast, and look curiously around at all the personality auras, trying to ignore the identity auras over them as I notice something with a frown. All of the upper years in Gryffindor, second on up, all have variations of red and gold-

_You seem a bit too confused about it for it to be just that, _Rowan said as he frowns down at the table, before his expression brightens and he grabs a sprig of rosemary.

_I know, just some thing about it bothers me, _I tell him. _Now have you noticed something weird about the upper years auras?_

Before he can reply, a second year comes at us glaring, and we quickly separate our auras.

"Why are you two here?" he asked with a nasty glare.

"You're a Slytherin," he growled at Rowan, before looking at me confused. "And you're a Hufflepuff."

I simply raise an eyebrow as a laugh bubbles up.


End file.
